“5 Seconds is all it takes”

Three months ago, if anyone asked me what my favorite thing to do, I would tell them it was to blast loud music while driving down the freeway, but that was before the incident.

The day started like any other; I woke up, took a shower, and went out to pick up my friend to go work out together at the gym. I got my keys, got in the car, and started the engine. It was the beginning of my final summer before college, and the weather could not have been better. It was the perfect combination of hot and cold, and I felt it was time to celebrate. I opened up Spotify and started my favorite sing-along playlist while cruising the road. There weren’t too many cars around me which made me feel relaxed and signaled my brain that it was time to blast the music.

Everything was going perfectly. A little too perfect. I was about to switch to the left lane and turned on my left turn signal, and as I was about to switch, the unexpected happened. A car zoomed past my left.

Fortunately, I noticed just in time to swerve back to my lane before anything dangerous happened, but I will never forget how long those 5 seconds felt. In those 5 seconds, my whole life flashed before me. Thousands of questions, thousands of what-ifs, all while my hands and legs were beyond my control and acting on pure adrenaline and muscle memory.

I will never forget that day. Everything about those 5 seconds is so vivid and will forever be imprinted within my brain. The one question that went through my brain was, “would it have been different if I wasn’t distracted?”

Distracted driving is not a joke. The truly terrifying part of driving is even if you think you are perfectly alert on the road there is always the chance of someone else being distracted. According to studies, in the year 2020, 3142 people were killed due to distracted driving which is equivalent to an average of 9 people killed every day. Just like my story, all it takes is 5 seconds for your whole life to change. Traveling at 55 mph for 5 seconds is equivalent to driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

My experience became the fuel for my future goal. Currently, I have chosen to major in biomedical engineering with a concentration in neuroscience to work more closely with crash patients and their healthcare needs. Furthermore, during high school I was selected for an advanced class that allowed students to conduct research in their field of interest. Through this program I was able to shadow multiple well-renowned biomedical engineering professors and professionals related to the field to learn more about the industry and what I can do to help. Through my interviews, I realized that my true passions lay within the field of neuroengineering, specifically geared towards one of the leading injuries in car accidents: traumatic brain-related injuries. This is what I plan to dedicate my life’s research to and hope to provide people with a second chance at life through the right affordable treatment plans.

Furthermore, with the $500 with this scholarship, I would be able to fund a lot of my semester tuition which would bring me closer to my goal and allow me to spend time on more necessary roles such as an undergraduate research assistant. However, what are some things the public can do right now to save their life and the people around them?

Stay vigilant. I know we all need some time to relax and staying alert consistently can be mentally draining, however, there are small things you can do to keep you and your family safe without jeopardizing your stress levels. Make sure to check your mental state before driving. Anger and distress can lead to increased cortisol levels which can blur your executive functioning skills. If you feel too stressed to drive, opt for a carpool with a friend or a taxi. Another important task is to keep the music at a reasonable volume. If you are not able to formulate a clear thought or even hear yourself think then the music is too loud for you to be able to stay concentrated on the road.

The cost of one mistake is too great to overrule the simple measures we as a community can take to prevent the endangerment of our fellow community. Make sure to take these measures seriously, for all of us to stay safe on the road. Stay vigilant, stay safe!

Works Cited

“Distracted Driving.” NHTSA, https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving.